Provisioning dedicated network resources with api services

ABSTRACT

Embodiments are disclosed that provision a cloud-based service together with a dedicated network connection to provision a cloud-based service element. In response to the request both the cloud-based service element and a dedicated network connection are provisioned. Provisioning the cloud-based service element together with the dedicated network connection enables the cloud-based service element to utilize the dedicated network connection.

BACKGROUND Field

This field is generally related to provisioning dedicated networkservices.

Related Art

Many applications, such as data storage, processing, and presentationapplications, utilize a communication network in their operation. Someapplications, sometimes referred to as cloud-based applications, runremotely and are only accessible via the communication network. Theseapplications may, for example, be hosted from a data center. A datacenter is a facility used to house computer systems and associatedcomponents, such as servers, telecommunications, and storage systems.

Cloud-based applications may be beneficial in that they allow resourcesto be shared among users. A user may avoid the need to purchase theunderlying hardware and software for an application, instead paying ausage fee, perhaps by the hour. Taking advantage of economies of scale,cloud-based applications may be available at a lower cost than buying asoftware license and any underlying hardware outright.

Network users may interact with the cloud-based applications viaapplication programming interfaces (APIs). An API provides a specifiedway of interacting with the application. An API may be implemented, forexample, using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) or RepresentationalState Transfer (REST).

To connect to the cloud-based application, the Internet may be used.However, it is desirable for many users to have dedicated connections tothe cloud-based application. A dedicated connection may provide moresecure and reliable access to the cloud-based application. However,setting up the dedicated network connection may be cumbersome.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method provides a cloud-basedservice. The method includes receiving a request from a user toprovision a cloud-based service element. In response to the userrequest, the method provisions a cloud-based service element. Thecloud-based service element provides an application service from a datacenter where the web service is accessible using an application programinterface via a network. The method also provisions a dedicated networkconnection on the network connected to the data center. The dedicatednetwork connection connects the data center to another locationgeographically disparate from the data center and reserves networkresources on the network between the data center and the other locationto be used by the cloud-based service element. Provisioning thecloud-based service element together with the dedicated networkconnection enables the cloud-based service element to utilize thededicated network connection.

System and computer program product embodiments are also disclosed.

Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention, as wellas the structure and operation of the various embodiments, are describedin detail below with reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form partof the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, togetherwith the description, further serve to explain the principles of thedisclosure and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to makeand use the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a diagram that illustrates a system for providing a dedicatedconnection between data centers.

FIG. 2 is a diagram that illustrates a system for providing a dedicatedconnection between network cloud servers through the data center'sinfrastructure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrates a system for providing a dedicatedconnection between an enterprise and a cloud server.

FIG. 4 is a diagram that illustrates network API server modules, cloudmarketplace server modules and data center modules.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart that illustrates an example of provisioning acloud service.

The drawing in which an element first appears is typically indicated bythe leftmost digit or digits in the corresponding reference number. Inthe drawings, like reference numbers may indicate identical orfunctionally similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As mentioned above, cloud-based applications are desirable because theyenable users to share resources. But, to access the cloud-basedapplications, users may require connectivity. Provisioning the networkconnection separately from the cloud-based application may becumbersome. Embodiments involve provisioning the network connectiontogether with the cloud-based application. By bundling the networkconnectivity with the cloud-based services, embodiments may simplifyusage of cloud-based services.

The Detailed Description that follows is divided into three sections.The first section describes, with respect to FIGS. 1-3, a system forproviding dedicated connection among cloud servers or users. The secondsection describes, with respect to FIG. 4, modules of a system thatenable providing dedicated connection among cloud servers and users. Thethird section describes, with respect to FIG. 5, a method for setting upa connection from a user to a cloud server.

Dedicated Connection to a Cloud Server

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 that provides a dedicated connectionusing a communication network 106. Communication network 106 may be ametropolitan area network (MAN) or wide area network (WAN). It mayutilize any point-to-point or multipoint-to-multipoint networkingprotocols. The network protocols used may include, for example,Ethernet, Transport Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol(UDP), Internet Protocol (IP), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS),Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC),Frame Relay, or Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET)/SynchronousDigital Hierarchy (SDH). Communication network 106 may, for example, bea network separate from the Internet.

Cloud marketplace server 102 provides users the ability to purchase thecloud services. It includes an interface for the users to select theapplications they need. It further provisions network resources forconnecting users to the servers that provide the cloud applications.Cloud marketplace server 102 is connected to the switching devices innetwork 106 and is capable of configuring the devices to provide therequired connections.

The required connection may, for example, be a dedicated networkconnection. A dedicated network connection is a connection withbandwidth reserved for a particular user. A dedicated network connectionmay be set up using either a private or public network servicetechnology. In other words, no other user of the network can have accessto the bandwidth reserved for a particular user on a dedicatedconnection. Reserving bandwidth may involve associating a particularbandwidth with a user. While still reserving bandwidth, a network may beoversubscribed, meaning that if all users were using all theirassociated bandwidth, the network would have insufficient capacity. Sucha dedicated network connection may be point-to-point, in which theconnection connects two points on the network. Also, the connection maybe multipoint-to-multipoint, in which a set of one or more points on thenetwork is connected to a second set of one or more network points.Additionally, the connection may be point-to-multipoint, in which apoint on the network is connected to a set of one or more networkpoints. A switching device may receive traffic for a particular networkconnection on a particular port.

In an example, network 106 may utilize an Ethernet protocol. In thatexample, the connection may be an Ethernet E-Line or E-LAN. E-Line andE-LAN are data services defined by the Metro Ethernet Forum that providepoint-to-point and multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet connections betweena pair or plurality of user network interfaces.

Using a dedicated network connection on a network, such as a private orshared network, may provide more capacity, reliably, and security thanmerely connecting via the Internet.

Network 106 is connected to two data centers—data center 104 and datacenter 120. Data center 104 is connected to network 106 through aswitching device 110, and data center 120 is connected to the network106 through a switching device 112. Data centers 120 and 104 are eachfacilities used to house computer systems and associated components,such as their own network infrastructures. They may include redundant orbackup power supplies, redundant data communications connections,environmental controls (e.g., air conditioning and fire suppression),and security devices.

Data center 104 includes a cloud server 108. Cloud server 108 is amachine that runs a cloud application. It provides cloud-based servicesor applications to users. Cloud server 108 may provide such a serviceafter receiving a request from a user to provision a cloud-based serviceelement. A cloud-based service element can be an application such as adatabase or a web application. Cloud servers 108 and 122 are in datacenters 104 and 120 respectively and can be geographically apart.

In an embodiment, a user can, using cloud marketplace server 102,purchase the dedicated network connection together with the cloud-basedservice element. In response to the purchase request, cloud marketplaceserver 102 communicates with cloud servers 108 and 122 to provision thecloud-based service and communicate with network 106 to provision thededicated network connection. Provisioning the cloud-based serviceelements in cloud servers 108 and 122 together with the dedicatednetwork connection among the cloud servers enables the cloud-basedservice elements to communicate over a dedicated connection.

In an example use case, a developer may use cloud-based serviceconnections to build a web-based application. The web-based applicationmay have two components: a web server and a database. Referring to FIG.1, the web server may be on cloud server 108 and the database may be oncloud server 122. The developer may select the appropriate cloud-basedservices and a network connection between the two servers from cloudmarketplace server 102. In response to the request, cloud marketplaceserver 102 may send messages to cloud servers 108 and 122 to set upcloud-based services and make them available to the developer. Also inresponse to the request, the cloud marketplace server 102 may send amessage asking that network 106 set up a network connection between datacenters 104 and 120, which host the respective cloud servers 108 and122.

Network 106 may provide a connection between switching devices 110 and112. Switching devices 110 and 112 reside at the edge of network 106 andmay provide entry into data centers 104 and 120 or even be co-located indata centers 104 and 120. However, for data to reach cloud servers 108and 122, additional routing may be required within data centers 104 and120. Configuring connections within data centers 104 and 120 isillustrated, for example, with respect FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system 200 for providing a connection between cloudserver 108 and cloud server 122 through infrastructure networks withindata centers 104 and 120. As illustrated in system 200, data center 104has infrastructure network 232, and data center 120 has infrastructurenetwork 234. Infrastructure networks 232 and 234 may be Local AreaNetworks (LANs) within the data center facilities.

In addition to provisioning connections in network 106, cloudmarketplace server 102 may also be able to provision connections throughinfrastructure networks 232 and 234. This enables the cloud marketplaceserver 102 to set up a dedicated connection between cloud-based serviceelements on the cloud servers. Such a dedicated connection includes adedicated network connection over infrastructures 232 and 234 withindata centers 104 and 120 respectively. In this way, cloud marketplaceserver 102 may also bundle cloud services with network connectivityservices within the respective data centers.

The example in FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a network connection between twodifferent data centers. However, the dedicated network connection mayalso be between a data center and enterprise as illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system 300 for providing a connection between anenterprise 320 and cloud server 108.

As above, in response to a user's request, cloud marketplace server 102provisions both a cloud service and a dedicated network connectionbetween switching devices 110 and 112. However, in system 300, switchingdevice 112 resides on an enterprise 320. Enterprise 320 may include, forexample, an organization's internal network, or LAN. In this embodiment,a dedicated network connection is established between the enterprise andthe cloud-based service element.

In one example use case, cloud server 108 may provide customerrelationship management (CRM) services. Those software services may, forexample, be used by persons within enterprise 320 to organize, automate,and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technicalsupport. When a user requests the customer relationship managementservices from cloud marketplace server 102, the user may also request adedicated network connection to support those software services.

Providing the dedicated network services with the cloud services isdescribed in greater detail with respect to FIG. 4.

System

FIG. 4 shows a system 400 for providing a dedicated connection to acloud-based service element. Similar to the systems in FIGS. 1-3, system400 includes cloud marketplace server 102, data center 104, network 106,and switching devices 110 and 112. These components are described ingreater detail with respect to their sub-modules. Additionally, system400 includes a network API server 410 that allows cloud marketplaceserver 102 to interface with network 106.

Cloud marketplace server 102 allows a user to request a cloud service.Cloud marketplace server 102 includes a user interface module 402, anetwork provisioning module 404, a cloud provisioning module 406, and anetwork topology module 408. The user may connect to cloud marketplaceserver 102 though user interface module 402. Using this interface, theuser can select the cloud applications it requires. For example, userinterface module 402 can receive a request from a user to provision aCRM service element or a relational database service element. Userinterface module 402 may also allow a user to request a dedicatednetwork connection.

The dedicated network connection may span over the network outside of adata center and the infrastructure network within the data center. Thededicated network connection connects the data center to anotherlocation that may be geographically disparate from the data center.

As described above, network 106 may utilize an Ethernet protocol and thenetwork connection may be an Ethernet E-Line.

To provide options to a user, user interface module 402 may interactwith network topology module 408. The cloud-based service element may beoffered from a plurality of data centers in disparate locations. Networktopology module 408 may select, based on a location of the user, a datacenter in proximity of the user's location. Based on the selected datacenter's location, network topology module 408 may determine thetopology of the dedicated network connection.

To determine the topology of the dedicated network connection, networktopology module 408 may make API calls to network API server 410.Network API server 410 may reply to the API calls using a network APIhandler module 412.

For example, network topology module 408 may ask network API server 410whether network connections are available that connect to the datacenters offering the cloud-based service element. Alternatively, networktopology module 408 may periodically ask for the locations of allavailable data centers on the network and correlate those data centerswith the data centers offering the cloud service element. In addition todetermining the available endpoint locations, as an example networktopology module 408 may query for the available bandwidth, latency, orjitter between two locations.

For example, a user's enterprise may be in Los Angeles, and the user maydesire a cloud-based database service. The cloud-based service may beoffered in data centers in Seattle, Las Vegas, and New York. To connectwith the cloud-based service, network 106 may be able to provide adedicated network connection between the user's enterprise in LosAngeles and the data center in Seattle or the data center in Las Vegas.User interface module 402 may present these various options to the user.

User interface module 402 may also present prices associated with thevarious options. To determine the price quote, user interface module 402may send an API request to network API handler module 412. Network APIhandler module 412 determines a price quote for the usage of theresources by the user. The price quote is based on parameters such as auser's location and locations of selected data centers. The price quotemay also vary depending on a service level, such as a bandwidth,latency, or jitter, or data quantity transferred, over the connections.

From various options, a user may, using user interface module 402,select not just the cloud-based service elements, but also a dedicatednetwork connection that assists in their operation. Once the user hasselected its desired options, it makes a selection to submit the order.The selection may, for example, be in the form of a single button on anHTML page that, when selected, causes the user's client to send an HTTPrequest to provision both the cloud and network services. In this way,by selecting a single user interface element, a user can request thatboth the cloud and network services be provisioned,

In response to a user's request, network provisioning module 404provisions the dedicated network connection. Network provisioning module404 provisions the cloud-based service element together with thededicated network connection. Such provisioning enables the cloud-basedservice element to utilize the dedicated network connection. Toprovision the cloud-based service element, network provisioning module404 may send an API request to network API server 410.

In response to the API request, network API server 410 may use a networkconfiguration module 414 to configure network 106 to provide the networkconnection. Network configuration module 414 may determine whichswitching devices on network 106 need to be configured to achieve therequested change. For example, network configuration module 414 mayidentify endpoint devices for each of the locations connected using thenetwork connectivity services, such as switching devices 110 and 112 inFIG. 4.

Once network configuration module 414 identifies each of theinterconnected switching devices, it configures the switching devices toprovide the requested bandwidth to the user. For example, networkconfiguration module 414 may send configuration commands to each of theswitching devices. Configuring these different types of switches mayrequire different commands. To deal with this problem, networkconfiguration module 414 may first look up the necessary commands foreach type of switch. In an example, network configuration module 414 mayutilize different sub-modules that understand the mapping of genericattribute models to the specific configuration instruction set of thedevice being modified. Then, network configuration module 414 may sendthe appropriate type-specific commands to each of the switching devices.In this way, by interacting with network configuration module 414 usingAPI calls, network provisioning module 404 configures the dedicatednetwork connection across the network 106.

As mentioned above, the dedicated network connection across network 106may connect various data centers or may connect a data center with anenterprise. In addition to configuring a dedicated network connectionacross network 106, network provisioning module 404 may also provision anetwork connection within data center 104.

To provision a network connection within data center 104, networkprovisioning module 404 may send an API request to an infrastructure APIserver 426. Infrastructure API server 426 has an infrastructureconfiguration module 422. Infrastructure configuration module 422operates in a similar manner as network configuration module 414. Likenetwork configuration module 414, infrastructure configuration module422 looks up the switches that must be configured on the network, inthis case infrastructure network 424, and sends the appropriate commandsto the switches to configure the connection.

In an example embodiment, a data center may use Ethernet protocol on itsinfrastructure network. In such scenario, infrastructure configurationmodule 422 may, for example, use a tunneling algorithm through theEthernet switching devices of data center 104 in order to provide aseamless dedicated connection from switching device 112 to cloud server108.

In this way, network provisioning module 404, in response to the user'srequest, provisions an infrastructure network connection within the datacenter. The infrastructure network connection connects the cloud-basedservice element with the network.

Not only are infrastructure and wide area connections implemented inresponse to the user's request, but the cloud service element may bealso provisioned. Based on the user's request, cloud provisioning module406 instructs the cloud configuration module 420 to provide access tothe requested application by the user.

Cloud configuration module 420, which may reside on the cloud server108, is connected to the infrastructure network 424 and provides accessto the requested application by the user. The dedicated connection thatis set up on the infrastructure network 424 can communicate with cloudconfiguration module 420 to provide the user with access to therequested application.

To provide access to the requested application, cloud configurationmodule 420 may involve installing new software or configuring existingsoftware to support additional users. For example, if the user requestsa Linux server, cloud configuration module 420 may configure a virtualmachine to run a Linux operating system. A skilled artisan wouldrecognize that other cloud services may be provisioned in other ways.

In this way, in response to a single user request, embodimentsautomatically provision both a cloud-based service element and adedicated network connection to provide secure access to the element.

In some embodiments, the provisioning may involve immediately setting upand activating the cloud-based service element and the dedicated networkconnection. In other embodiments, the provisioning may also involvescheduling the cloud-based service element and the dedicated networkconnection to be activated at some point in the future. In oneembodiment, the user can set, through an API call, times in the futureto activate and deactivate the service. When the activate time occurs,cloud configuration module 420, infrastructure configuration module 422and network configuration module 414 set up and activate the cloud basedservice elements, the infrastructure network connection oninfrastructure network 424, and the network connection on network 106respectively. Then, when deactivate time occurs, the respective modulesdeactivate the respective services. The times may occur on repeatingbasis.

In another similar embodiment, the user can set, again through an APIcall, conditions that trigger activation or deactivation of theservices. The conditions may be triggered based on usage characteristicsof other connections or usage characteristics of cloud based services.For example, a rule may state that. when a relational database servicereaches 80% of storage capacity, another database service element andassociated network connection services will be allocated. In this way,embodiments allow both cloud-based and network service elements to beautomatically allocated based on future needs.

Method

FIG. 5 is a flowchart that shows a method 500 for setting up dedicatedconnection to a cloud server based on a user's requirements. Method 500shows an example of how a cloud marketplace server and a network APIserver, such as cloud marketplace server 102 and network API server 410,may interact.

Method 500 starts at step 502 when the cloud marketplace server receivesa request from a user inquiring about a new cloud-based service. Forexample, step 502 may involve entering into a marketplace application.The marketplace application may be a web application accessible using aweb browser. The marketplace application may have a shopping cartfunctionality that allows a user to select what cloud-based serviceelements it wants. When the user enters the marketplace and requests acloud-based application, it shops for both cloud-based service elementsand network connectivity services.

For example, a user may place three cloud-based virtual machines withcertain CPU and memory requirements in its shopping cart. A user mayalso indicate that it desires a dedicated network connection between thethree virtual machines. These user requirements are sent in an APIrequest to the network API server.

At step 504, the network API server receives the user requirements. Atstep 506, the network API server uses the user requirements to calculatepricing for providing the requested service to the user. Thiscalculation includes the costs of configuring the connections to provideaccess to the cloud server and providing the cloud-based serviceelement.

At step 508, the cloud marketplace server displays a price quote to theuser. If the user accepts and follows through with ordering the service,the cloud marketplace server receives the user order at step 510. Inresponse to this acceptance, the cloud marketplace server provisions thecloud-based service element at step 512. The cloud marketplace serveralso sends a request to the network API server to configure networkresources to provide the service requested by the user. This may includeconfiguring switching devices in the network to provide a dedicatedconnection to the user.

Finally, at step 516, the network API server bills the user for thenetwork requested network connection or the cloud service elements. Thebill may be consistent with the pricing calculated at step 506. Theprice may also reflect, or be metered by, the duration, quantity, orusage that the user uses the network services. Any of these meteringtechniques may be used to determine a price for any of theconfigurations illustrated in FIGS. 1-3.

CONCLUSION

The term “user,” as used herein, may encompass both a customer of thenetwork connectivity service, such as an employee of a business thatutilizes the network connectivity service, and a network administratorof the service provider itself. Users may also be at different companiesor organizations. Users may also be automated programs and softwareapplications.

Each of the servers and modules in FIG. 4 may be implemented inhardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.

Each of the servers and modules in FIG. 4 may be implemented on the sameor different computing devices. Such computing devices can include, butare not limited to, a personal computer, a mobile device such as amobile phone, a workstation, an embedded system, a game console, atelevision, a set-top box, or any other computing device. Further, acomputing device can include, but is not limited to, a device having aprocessor and memory, including a non-transitory memory, for executingand storing instructions. The memory may tangibly embody the data andprogram instructions. Software may include one or more applications andan operating system. Hardware can include, but is not limited to, aprocessor, a memory, and a graphical user interface display. Thecomputing device may also have multiple processors and multiple sharedor separate memory components. For example, the computing device may bea part of or the entirety of a clustered computing environment or serverfarm.

Identifiers, such as “(a),” “(b),” “(i),” “(ii),” etc., are sometimesused for different elements or steps. These identifiers are used forclarity and do not necessarily designate an order for the elements orsteps.

The present invention has been described above with the aid offunctional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specifiedfunctions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functionalbuilding blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenienceof the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as thespecified functions and relationships thereof are appropriatelyperformed.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fullyreveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applyingknowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt forvarious applications such specific embodiments, without undueexperimentation, without departing from the general concept of thepresent invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications areintended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of thedisclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presentedherein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, suchthat the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is tobe interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings andguidance.

The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited byany of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be definedonly in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for provisioning a cloud-based service,the method comprising: receiving a user requirement to provision acloud-based service element, a data center being accessible to anendpoint serving a user associated with the user requirement via anetwork, the data center serving the cloud-based service element;determining a network topology based on the user requirement, thenetwork topology including a switching device within the networkconnecting the endpoint to the data center; and configuring theswitching device to connect the endpoint with the data center by sendingone or more type-specific commands to the switching device, a networkconnection provisioned based on the configuration of the switchingdevice.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network connection isprovisioned in response to receiving a network configuration request. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the network topology includes a secondswitching device, the second switching device being configured bysending one or more second type-specific commands to the secondswitching device, the network connection further provisioned based onthe configuration of the second switching device.
 4. The method of claim3, wherein the one or more type-specific commands are different from theone or more second type-specific commands.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the data center is selected from a plurality of data centersbased on an endpoint location of the endpoint.
 6. The method of claim 5,wherein the data center is selected based on a proximity of the endpointlocation to a data center location of the data center.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the user requirement includes a required bandwidth. 8.The method of claim 7, wherein the switching device is furtherconfigured based on the required bandwidth.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the network connection is an Ethernet E-Line.
 10. A system forprovisioning a cloud-based service, the system comprising: at least onecomputing device comprising at least one processor and memory, the atleast one computing device implementing a network configuration module,the network configuration module determining a network topology of anetwork based on a user requirement to provision a cloud-based serviceelement, a data center being accessible to an endpoint serving a userassociated with the user requirement via the network, the data centerserving the cloud-based service element, the network topology includinga switching device within the network connecting the endpoint to thedata center, the switching device configurable to connect the endpointto the data center by sending one or more type-specific commands to theswitching device; and a network application programming interface (API)handler module implemented by the at least one computing device, thenetwork API handler module calculating a price of the user requirementbased on the network topology.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein theprice is further calculated based on an endpoint location associatedwith the endpoint and a data center location associated with the datacenter.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the endpoint location is alocation of an enterprise network associated with the user.
 13. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the user requirement includes a requiredbandwidth.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the price is furthercalculated based on the required bandwidth.
 15. The system of claim 10,wherein the price is further calculated based on the cloud-based serviceelement.
 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the network topologyincludes a second switching device, the second switching device beingconfigured by sending one or more second type-specific commands to thesecond switching device.
 17. One or more tangible non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructionsfor performing a computer process on a computing system, the computerprocess comprising: receiving a user requirement to provision acloud-based service element, a data center being accessible to anendpoint serving a user associated with the user requirement via anetwork, the data center serving the cloud-based service element;determining a network topology based on the user requirement, thenetwork topology including a switching device within the networkconnecting the endpoint to the data center, the switching deviceconfigurable to connect the endpoint to the data center by sending oneor more type-specific commands to the switching device; and calculatinga price of the user requirement based on the network topology.
 18. Theone or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media ofclaim 17, wherein the network topology includes a second switchingdevice, the second switching device being configured by sending one ormore second type-specific commands to the second switching device. 19.The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage mediaof claim 17, wherein the price is further calculated based on anendpoint location associated with the endpoint and a data centerlocation associated with the data center.
 20. The one or more tangiblenon-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein theprice is further calculated based on a required bandwidth associatedwith the user requirement.